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Speaker 1: For this morning. We are making sure that everybody knows

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Speaker 1: exactly what needs to be happening when it comes to COVID.

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Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to talk further about

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Speaker 1: this snap lockdown is the Health Minister Natasha Files. Good

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Speaker 1: morning to.

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Speaker 2: You, Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.

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Speaker 1: Minister. As I mentioned, we understand that that meeting is

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Speaker 1: happening at nine point thirty this morning, the SMC meeting.

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Speaker 1: What updated information are we expecting to come through at

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Speaker 1: nine point thirty without obviously pre emptying anything.

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Speaker 2: So the Northern Territory, as you said, Katie, is facing

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Speaker 2: its first serious COVID threat since the global pandemics began,

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Speaker 2: and governments through the Security and Emergency Management Committee has

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Speaker 2: worked all through the weekends, and I'd like to acknowledge

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Speaker 2: those health and other frontline professionals that have been providing

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Speaker 2: us with advice. And so the situation yesterday rapidly evolved

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Speaker 2: and the decision was made to lock down Greater Darwin

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Speaker 2: area to allow us to get in contact with those people.

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Speaker 2: As you mentioned, we've now been able to get in

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Speaker 2: contact with everyone that is considered a close contact of

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Speaker 2: the first index case and we are now shifting to

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Speaker 2: making sure all of those people are tested and then

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Speaker 2: the follow on tracing can begin from there.

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Speaker 1: So how many people need to be tested as a

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Speaker 1: matter of urgency.

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Speaker 2: Katie, There's a few hundred people that need to be tested,

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Speaker 2: and we've got certainly no problems with our testing capability.

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Speaker 2: The real issue on why Darwin or the greater top

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Speaker 2: end we've put into the lockdown yesterday was we had

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Speaker 2: a number of contacts that we simply couldn't get in

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Speaker 2: contact with them, and we were very concerned working to

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Speaker 2: the fact that we believe this is the delta strain

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Speaker 2: and the spread and the transmissibility of that strain, and

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Speaker 2: so we just needed to stop and we needed to

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Speaker 2: make sure that thinking worst case, that those people out

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Speaker 2: and about in our community, we needed to protect our

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Speaker 2: community with that lockdown. We've now been able to make

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Speaker 2: contact with all of those individuals and they are now

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Speaker 2: in home quarantine or being taken to the Howard Springs

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Speaker 2: facility and their tests can be undertaken and we can

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Speaker 2: then continue to work through this situation with the virus

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Speaker 2: in the territory now.

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Speaker 1: Minister. Obviously there was an issue with not being able

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Speaker 1: to contact everybody initially, we concerned that some of those

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Speaker 1: people have gone out done their shopping exposed others to

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Speaker 1: potentially to COVID. Were concerned about that, and what's the

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Speaker 1: process this morning.

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Speaker 2: Yes, we are concerned about those contacts becoming infectious and

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Speaker 2: potentially spreading it on in our community. So that's why

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Speaker 2: we've put in place these measures of a lockdown, only

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Speaker 2: leaving home for those essential reasons. And when you do

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Speaker 2: need to leave home, you need to wear a mask.

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Speaker 2: And so the process from now is as I said,

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Speaker 2: making sure that those close contacts are in isolation, testing

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Speaker 2: them and then working through the tracing if any of

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Speaker 2: those cases start to test positive. And so this forty

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Speaker 2: eight hour lockdown is designed to give our health professionals

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Speaker 2: the time just pausing our community and stopping the potential

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Speaker 2: interactions of this virus whilst they can get ahead of it.

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Speaker 1: Now. Obviously we've now got six cases, or we've got

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Speaker 1: six cases related to the mind but two of those

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Speaker 1: are into state, aren't they. Where are the other four?

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Speaker 2: Yes, So, Katie, there's the initial individual and then there

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Speaker 2: is in terms of five other cases. Those five cases,

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Speaker 2: one person has gone to New South Wales and New

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Speaker 2: South Wales are doing the tracing of that individual and

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Speaker 2: one person's gone to Queensland. Two other individuals tested positive

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Speaker 2: out at the Granite Mind and they've been taken to

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Speaker 2: the Center of the National Resilience to provide them with

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Speaker 2: their care. We also had an individual who tested positive

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Speaker 2: in the Darwin region and they are also at Howard

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Speaker 2: Springs and their close contacts have been very restricted. But

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Speaker 2: there's close contacts are also under the care of NTE Health,

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Speaker 2: so at the moment is very contained and with this lockdown,

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Speaker 2: we're giving ourselves more time to contain that so that

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Speaker 2: we don't see ourselves in a prolonged situation of having

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Speaker 2: cases pop up.

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Speaker 1: Minister, why didn't the Mind have a plan in place

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Speaker 1: for an incident.

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Speaker 2: Like this, Katie? The Mind did have a plan in

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Speaker 2: place and so we saw that enacted earlier or late

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Speaker 2: last week, I should say. So as soon as the

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Speaker 2: individual realized that there are potential contacts, they were isolated

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Speaker 2: at the mines. But unfortunately there was a period of

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Speaker 2: time before they became aware that they were a contact

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Speaker 2: and it was in that period of time that the

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Speaker 2: virus had spreads.

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Speaker 1: Okay, we've got quite a few messages or questions coming

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Speaker 1: through from listeners this morning, there's one here, Katie, can

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Speaker 1: you ask the Health Minister do we need to have

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Speaker 1: a mask on when driving?

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Speaker 2: And what about running?

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Speaker 1: I saw a few joggers on the Espanade this morning

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Speaker 1: without one, So Katie.

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Speaker 2: You do need to wear a mask whenever you leave

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Speaker 2: your home except for when you're driving. Obviously it's not

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Speaker 2: recommended to have a mask and it might obscured your

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Speaker 2: vision or it might fog your glasses up, but yes,

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Speaker 2: you do need one if you're exercising. And it's really

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Speaker 2: important that territories understand this mask directive. It's different to

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Speaker 2: other sets and territories. What's been put in place is

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Speaker 2: because we believe we're dealing with the highly infectious Delta

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Speaker 2: strain and even a momentary passing someone while you're out

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Speaker 2: exercising could spread it and that mask is a protection.

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Speaker 1: Minister, has there been further testing to determine if we

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Speaker 1: are indeed dealing with the delta strain?

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Speaker 2: So yes, that is underway, and when you're finished speaking

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Speaker 2: with yourself and to listeners, I'll be attending the next

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Speaker 2: a meeting and we'll be getting further advice. But we're

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Speaker 2: treating it as as if it is the delta strain,

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Speaker 2: that highly infectious strain.

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Speaker 1: Minister, are you annoyed that we are in this situation

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Speaker 1: right now because this poor miner had to go into

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Speaker 1: one of those hotel quarantine spots in Brisbane and has

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Speaker 1: picked up COVID in a hotel quarantine spot.

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Speaker 2: I think the Chief Minister shared the frustration. That's where

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Speaker 2: it's believes that this individual has got it from. But Katie,

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Speaker 2: we're in the situation we're in and right now we

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Speaker 2: need to deal with that and keep territory and as

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Speaker 2: safe as possible. And so that's what we've done throughout

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Speaker 2: the weekend and we'll continue to do so. In terms

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Speaker 2: of quarantine. We obviously have a different, different regime here

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Speaker 2: and I'm sure those conversations will continue at a national

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Speaker 2: cabinet and a National Health minister's level.

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Speaker 1: Okay, I've got another message here, hi, Katie. Are we

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Speaker 1: allowed to pick up family members from the airport?

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Speaker 2: Katie? That is a tricky one because we are allowing

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Speaker 2: people to come into Darwin if they have an address

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Speaker 2: to go to. So I think that that's important if

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Speaker 2: they have accommodation booked or if they've got a place

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Speaker 2: of residence. Common sense would say that you can with

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Speaker 2: measures pick them up, but I'd have to seek some advice,

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Speaker 2: so I might get that verified and get that back

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Speaker 2: through to you while you're on air this morning.

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Speaker 1: Okay, another one here. Please ask the Health Minister if

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Speaker 1: my wife and I we're vaccinated, do we still have

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Speaker 1: to wear a mask?

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Speaker 2: If so, why, Yes, Katie, you still do need to

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Speaker 2: follow that mass directs. We know that the vaccination is

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Speaker 2: the best tool for protecting you as an individual and

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Speaker 2: our broader community, but you can still catch COVID and

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Speaker 2: you can still pass it on. It will lessen the

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Speaker 2: severity of your illness, which is particularly important, but you

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Speaker 2: still need to wear a mask to stop that transition.

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Speaker 1: Minister, we are being inundated with messages here. There's one

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Speaker 1: that says, Katie, not all people are in isolation out

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Speaker 1: at the mine. My partner's been exposed to confirm cases

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Speaker 1: and she's still out there delivering meals to rooms, etc.

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Speaker 1: Is that appropriate?

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Speaker 2: It's a Katie. I curr't comment on the specifics of that.

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Speaker 2: Of course, I'll pass that on to our Health of officials.

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Speaker 2: The MIND has a COVID management plan and we need

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Speaker 2: to remember that minds are very structured, process orientated places

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Speaker 2: to begin with, and they have this plan in place.

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Speaker 2: We do have a large number of people out there

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Speaker 2: at the MIND still and they've gone into a COVID response,

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Speaker 2: but of course they still do need to need their food.

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Speaker 2: Now the close contacts have all been identified and they've

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Speaker 2: been in the process of being removed from the mine,

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Speaker 2: but there are hundreds of people still out on that site,

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Speaker 2: but that would all come under their COVID management plan

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Speaker 2: to reduce the risk of any virus being spreadd.

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Speaker 1: Minister, Why didn't the government locked down when you made

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Speaker 1: that first announcement of a positive case? Why did it

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Speaker 1: take twenty four hours?

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, we considered the health evidence as it became

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Speaker 2: available to us. We certainly did discuss that initially, do

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Speaker 2: we need to lock down the territory, do we need

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Speaker 2: to lock down certain areas, But the advice was that

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Speaker 2: we needed to stay calm, we needed to identify those

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Speaker 2: contacts and get into touch with them. It was when

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Speaker 2: yesterday we still had a significant number that we were

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Speaker 2: unable to get in touch with that we made the

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Speaker 2: decision that we needed to give ourselves the best possible

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Speaker 2: opportunity to step through this by having that forty eight

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Speaker 2: hour lockdown, so our contact tracing so that we could

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Speaker 2: get in touch with those individuals, and last night we

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Speaker 2: were able to confirm we had been in contact with

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Speaker 2: everyone that is a close contact. We now know that

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Speaker 2: they are in isolation or quarantine and that we can

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Speaker 2: test them and then see what their results come back,

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Speaker 2: as we've had a number that have come back negative, Katie,

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Speaker 2: and then we need to see anyone that comes back positive,

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Speaker 2: who have they been in contact with and make them

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Speaker 2: close contacts and start that process. And so that is

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Speaker 2: why yesterday morning the decision was made to go into

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Speaker 2: that forty eight hour lockdown for the top end region. Katie.

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Speaker 2: I know you've got listeners in Central Australia and it's

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Speaker 2: really important that we did thoroughly look at this for

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Speaker 2: Central Australia as well. But we've been able to get

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Speaker 2: in contact with the people that were close contacts in

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Speaker 2: Central Australia earlier on, so we had confidence day renin isolation.

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Speaker 1: Okay, we've got as I say, we've got a lot

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Speaker 1: of people getting in contact. There are a few things

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Speaker 1: that I'm very keen to try and get to the

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Speaker 1: bottom of are we anticipating that this lockdown's going to

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Speaker 1: be extended for further than forty eight hours, Katy, I.

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Speaker 2: Can't give you a definite answer on that, but I

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Speaker 2: can point to the comments I've just made around why

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Speaker 2: we're in a lockdown situation is to give ourselves that

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Speaker 2: time without you know, potentially the virus spreading further and

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Speaker 2: further in the community whilst we're still working out those steps.

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Speaker 2: We've put a line in the sand, we're working below that,

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Speaker 2: and we're hoping it hasn't spread beyond that, and because

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Speaker 2: of the lockdown and the features of the lockdown, it

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Speaker 2: shouldn't because everyone should be at home or wearing a mask.

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Speaker 1: Okay, some people have been well quite critical about the

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Speaker 1: fact that there was really only about ninety minutes to

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Speaker 1: allow businesses and locals time to get organized. Why didn't

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Speaker 1: you make it a bit longer?

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, that was the point we needed to make

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Speaker 2: it immediately in terms of getting organized. You can still

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Speaker 2: go out for medical treatment, you can still go out

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Speaker 2: to get tested and vaccinated, you can still go and

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Speaker 2: get essential goods and services. So in fact, everybody should

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Speaker 2: have just gone home, stopped at home. We didn't need

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Speaker 2: to rush to woolies or coals because the supermarkets will

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Speaker 2: remain open, and so that is why it needed to

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Speaker 2: be made quickly, so that we didn't allow in that

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Speaker 2: time period. Say we had allowed six or eight or

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Speaker 2: ten hours, it could have spread in that period. So

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Speaker 2: that was why the decision was made to implement it

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Speaker 2: so quickly.

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Speaker 1: Minister. I'm mindful of your time. I know that some

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Speaker 1: on social media have been critical of the fact that

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Speaker 1: you did the city to serve and then the lockdown

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Speaker 1: was called. Should you have done that run or should

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Speaker 1: this have been called sooner?

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, I follow the health advice at the time,

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Speaker 2: and it's certainly something that knowing that we had cases

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Speaker 2: in the territory, that I did consider. But it's so

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Speaker 2: important that we find that balance, and so people should

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Speaker 2: follow the health advice at the time. They shouldn't preempt

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Speaker 2: it and cause panic, and they also shouldn't ignore it

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Speaker 2: and go and do things. And so it is a

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Speaker 2: very difficult balance. But the health advice at the time

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Speaker 2: was followed, and then as soon as that lockdown was called,

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Speaker 2: I've certainly been following that and I encourage all territories to.

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Speaker 1: Do so, okay, Minister, there is obviously a lot of

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Speaker 1: innuendo and a lot of rumor going around at the moment.

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Speaker 1: I know that somebody has been in contact with us

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Speaker 1: and said that one of those miners was at the

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Speaker 1: beach front on Friday night. I mean, is this what

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Speaker 1: we're going to see now? Are we going to wind

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Speaker 1: up in a situation here where there are quite a

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Speaker 1: number of exposure sites or do we all just need

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Speaker 1: to calm down until we know exactly where anybody who

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Speaker 1: is positive has actually been.

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, it's that second part to stay calm, let's

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Speaker 2: work out who actually is positive and don't have unnecessary panic,

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Speaker 2: unnecessary testing, and unnecessary use of resources. The people that

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Speaker 2: are considered close contacts are all in isolation now. The

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Speaker 2: rest of us are all in lockdown and we've minimize

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Speaker 2: the potential contact and therefore the potential is spread in

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Speaker 2: our community. Once public Health identify a positive case, they

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Speaker 2: then have a very strict contact tracing process that they

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Speaker 2: will follow and you will be advised if you are

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Speaker 2: a contact. There's so many rumors and innuendo going around, Katie,

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Speaker 2: it's a small community. I get the text the same

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Speaker 2: as you there's rumors in Central Australia. The top end.

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Speaker 2: People just need to follow the advice and make sure

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Speaker 2: they're listening to sources of truths for their information, such

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Speaker 2: as as NIX and other news outlets as well as

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Speaker 2: government sources.

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Speaker 1: There is a lot of concern about our indigenous population.

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Speaker 1: Plenty of people still walking around no masks or social

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Speaker 1: distancing at this point.

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Speaker 2: So Katie were working with Larokie and Nation to make

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Speaker 2: sure that people that are in the Darwin area have

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Speaker 2: space masks, they have hand sanitizers. There's no travel in

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Speaker 2: or out of the Greater Darwin region allowed. Only essential

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Speaker 2: emergency service type workers are able to travel into remote communities.

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Speaker 2: I think that's a really important point. There's been some

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Speaker 2: discussion that no one is going. Of course if someone

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Speaker 2: needs medical treatment that will be provided, but we are

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Speaker 2: minimizing those potential contacts. So there is measures being put

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Speaker 2: in place, particularly to support those that are vulnerable.

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Speaker 1: Minister, what is the difference between community transfer and locally

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Speaker 1: acquired cases. That's something that's been asked quite a bit

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Speaker 1: in the last twelve hours.

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Speaker 2: So community transmission is where it's more broadly in the community,

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Speaker 2: and so you know somebody has gone to a location

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Speaker 2: and picked up the virus and you're seeing a spread

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Speaker 2: through a community. These locally acquired cases, we know exactly

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Speaker 2: where they've come from, and it's not generally in the community,

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Speaker 2: but it can quickly shift from locally acquired cases into

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Speaker 2: community transmissions. And that's why we've taken this step.

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Speaker 1: Now, why are some cafes etc. Still operating at this point?

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Speaker 1: Are they allowed to and offer those takeaway services?

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Speaker 2: So yes, Katie, we've shifted to the measures and we

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Speaker 2: saw these earlier on. Those takeaway measures are in place,

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Speaker 2: so people need to wear a mask when they're picking

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Speaker 2: that up or they can have a lot of places

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Speaker 2: are offering that contactless delivery. But yes, you can still

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Speaker 2: get your essential service of food delivery provided to you.

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Speaker 1: Minister. Last year around this time world the Chief Minister

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Speaker 1: called it pretty early and canceled Territory Day. You'd have

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Speaker 1: to say that we're in a much more serious situation

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Speaker 1: at this point. Are we staring down the barrel of

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Speaker 1: Territory Day being canceled.

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Speaker 2: The last year was a very different situation, Katie. The

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Speaker 2: Territory Day was canceled before the fireworks were ordered because

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Speaker 2: we couldn't send those help or the work safety authorities

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Speaker 2: into the locations where they're firecrackers are made clearly, Territory

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Speaker 2: Day is later this week. We've also got a number

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Speaker 2: of the regional shows. We will take the health advice

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Speaker 2: and it is a little too early, of course, I

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Speaker 2: want to see Territory Day happen, but we're doing what

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Speaker 2: it takes to keep our community safe and if we

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Speaker 2: need to revisit those planned announcements will be made later

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Speaker 2: in the week.

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Speaker 1: Minister. Just finally, are you amping up that wastewater testing,

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Speaker 1: So yes.

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Speaker 2: Katie, the wastewater testing. We're going to shift to a

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Speaker 2: daily wastewater testing regime so I can confirm. The last

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Speaker 2: results of wastewater testing that we saw in the territory,

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Speaker 2: which were towards the end of last week, did not identify,

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Speaker 2: apart from the Howard Spring site, any COVID in the wastewater.

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Speaker 2: But our health authorities are stepping that up to a

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Speaker 2: daily regime to give us a game more information now

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Speaker 2: that we've seen the situation of locally acquired cases in

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Speaker 2: the territory.

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Speaker 1: Right, okay, well, interesting times ahead, busy times ahead, Minister.

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Speaker 1: We really appreciate your time this morning, and we understand

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Speaker 1: that meet is set to take place in just a

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Speaker 1: couple of minutes. We'll make sure that we take our

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Speaker 1: listeners to any outcome from that meeting a little later

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Speaker 1: this morning.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for your time. Thank you